Conventionally, memory cards having thin, flat housings made of resin are widely used as media for storing data in digital cameras, and small memory cards of various types and standards are known. Recently, memory cards are also used as media for storing data in mobile telephones, and very small memory cards are also available in the market.
Memory card connectors are provided in electronic devices such as digital cameras and mobile telephones which use these memory cards as storing media, so that the memory cards are fitted in the electronic devices by inserting them in the memory card connectors.
For example, as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, in such a memory card connector, a detection switch is provided for detecting the state of electrical connection of a memory card by making contacting portions of the memory card to be inserted in the connector body contact and part from the connector body. As a detection switch, there is a card detection switch for detecting insertion of a card.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional configuration of a card detection switch for detecting insertion of a memory card in a conventional memory card connector.
Conventional card detection switch 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided on the one guiding sidewall 4 side of connector body 3 which extends along the insertion direction of memory card 2 to be fitted.
Card detection switch 1 is formed with second contact member 5 which is arranged along guiding sidewall 4 of connector body 3 and first contact member 6 which is arranged apart from second contact member 5 in the width direction.
First contact member 6 has curved part 7 which faces second contact member 5 in the width direction of connector body 3 and which projects from the guiding sidewall 4 side, into the route of insertion.
When memory card 2 is in a fitting position, curved part 7 of first contact member 6 is pushed by the lateral surface of memory card 2 and therefore the base end of curved part 7 abuts on second contact member 5, thereby placing first contact member 6 and second contact member 5 in an electrically conducting state (i.e. closed state).
In this way, with conventional memory card connectors, second contact member 5 and first contact member 6 are originally in the electrically disconnected state (i.e. open state) on one guiding sidewall 4 side along the insertion direction. By contrast with this, when a memory card is inserted, first contact member 6 deflects sideward and contacts second contact member 5, thereby placing second contact member 5 and first contact member 6 in an electrically conducting state. Further, when memory card 2 is removed from connector body 3, curved part 7 of first contact member 6 is recovered, thereby placing first contact member 6 and second contact member 5 in an electrically disconnected state. By so doing, insertion of a memory card is detected. Note that the ends of first contact member 6 and second contact member 5 are connected with a card detection circuit on a printed substrate (not shown) on which connector body 3 is mounted.
With this conventional memory card, in case where second contact member 5 is made of a flexible material, second contact member 5 is deflected by curved part 7 of first contact member 6, toward the side of memory card 2, that is, in a direction to part from this memory card 2. By this means, the contact points of first contact member 6 and second contact member 5 wipe (i.e. slide against) and contact each other, so that it is possible to prevent contact failure due to scrapes of the card between the contact points produced by contact between the lateral surface of the resin card and first contact member 6.
It is known that a detection switch disclosed in Patent Literature 2 employs a configuration having a wiping function where contact members contacting each other upon insertion of the card slide against each other.
With the detection switch of Patent Literature 2, the first contact member is arranged swingably along the insertion direction of the card, the front end part is molded to bend or curve in the surface direction of the card and the first contact point is formed in the rim of the front end part. Further, with the second contact member, the rear end part is molded to bend or curve in the thickness direction of the card, and the second contact point facing the first contact point is formed in the rim of the rear end part. According to Patent Literature 2, the first contact member is deflected by insertion of the card and the first contact point is displaced to the side of the card to press against the second contact point, so that the second contact point is displaced in the thickness direction of the card. In this way, according to Patent Literature 2, when the card is inserted, the first contact point and the second contact point contact each other sliding against (i.e. wiping) each other.